Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-10-24

IN MEMOnY OF LINCOLN.

= LII .Lul
IN MEMOnY OF LINCOLN.
Unveiling of the Great Bronze lIOnu-
ment of the Martyred President at
Chicago.
Chicago, Oct. % The great statue OF
Abraham Lincoln was unveiled this
afternoon in Lincoln park, in the pres
ence of a large assemplage. Shortly be.
lore three O'Clock the booming of cannon
the crowd, aud as the echoes
away over the waters of Lake
little Abe Lincoln, son OF
Robert Llncoln, stepped w to the base
of the flag -covered bronzs figure of has
grandfather and pulled the rope which
neid the covering. The folds slowly un
loosened and dropped down at the base,
and the tall, erect figure of Abraham
Lincoln shore brightly in the sun, which
struggled through the clouds. At that
moment a tremendous shout went up
from the 5000 people assembled. winch
was joined o m0ment later by q renewed
roar from the cannon. MIR. Thomas r.
Wlthro, one of the trustees OF the Bates
fund, out OF which the cost of the statue
was betrayed, formally presented the
static to the Lincoln Park board, and
Mr.. VIC. Cloudy replied. The Grafton
was delivered by Hon. Leonard SWEET,
whose intimate, political. social and
domestic relations with the great presi-
dent have made him the best informed
man now living on Llncoln's life. AS o
condensed biography of Lincoln it has
not been exoelled. Mr.. SWEET said in
part:
The character of Abraham Lincoln
|6prang upon American sell and was OF
American growth. 1t would not have
been possible tor any other soil on the
globe or any country other than Ameri-
ca, or other civilization than our own to
have produced him. He was emphati-
caliy a child OF the republic and product
of our institutions. he wss Of the peo-
pie and for the people. The most mark
cd characteristic of MIR. lincoln WAC his
personal peculiarities. No one who ever
knew him, ever knew another man like
him. He stands out from the world OF
his time, isolated and alone, His CHAR.
acter was that OF great a~irectness and
extreme simplicity. Clothing, to him
was made for covering aud warmth to
the body and moi for ornament. He
never in his life got the better OF his
fellowmen in o trade and never loaned
money On trust. / never knew him but
once TO borrow money or give his note.
Mr. SWEET then spoke briefly of the
we'll known events which led up to the
election OF MIR. Lincoln as president and
continued:
81 believe he desired q second nomina-
ton, because that involved az approval
by the common people whom he always
loved and conided In, OF the curse
which he had taken, often in great doubt,
idRring the first administration, yet he
would do nothinR and would allow nc
friend to do anything to get it.
He looked with indifference over the
Vaccinations against him in his cabinet
and with indifference over the senate
and members of congress, to the aptlon
of the common people IS expressed in
their preliminary conventions and the
resolutions Of state legislatures, as
though an electrio chord OF sympathy
extended from him to them. The sub
lime and browning characteristic OF MIR.
Lincoln, however, was his selt-relIance.
During the eleven years l Was with Him
at the bar of this state 1 neves knew HIM
to ask the advice Of q friend about any
thing. During the four years OF hie
administration, / never knew or heard
Of him doing this. / never knew him,
In the preparation of q trial or . perplex.
lily in court, to turn to his associate to
ask his advice.
After speaking at some length OF Mr.
LInooln's habit OF inqulring into every
thing for knowledge and his studiss into
the middle age, MIR. Sweet SAID:
And herein may l be E.srmitted to
mention smother remarkable and useful
trait OF his character. It vas that men.
tai equopoise which is disturbed a,
nothing and diverted from the pathway
it has marked out by nothing. Although
prosecuting the wal simply from q sense
of duty and not from a belief in its sue,
cess, yet he kept right on and was
neither depressed by disasters or elated
by success. He seemed TO comprehend
the magnitude of the contest in which he
was engaged more thoroughly than any
other man. In short, he war the strong
man OF the contest and the great men at
Washington took courage from his cour-
age to lean on his great arm for support,
In conclusion Mr.. Sweet said:
We see in his image Of bronze above
MS his real presence. All we know is
that in all time hereafter wherever The
slave shall groan under the lash, or the
poor shall sigh for something better trnn
they have known, there his pane will be
honored and his example initiated.
IrNEs nZrr u